You’ve gotten a call from a loved one saying that they are in jail. They would like you to post their bail for them.
Since this is someone you love, your kneejerk reaction is going to be to say yes but is that a good idea.
The first thing you need to consider is if you can afford to post their bail. If you’re doing this without the help of a California bail bonds agency, you will get the entire bail amount back, which is great! The problem is that if court cases move slowly, it could be months before the money is returned. That’s time when you won’t have the money available to cover things like car insurance, mortgage payments, and groceries.
Unless you can honestly afford to be without the funds for a long time, you shouldn’t post your loved one’s bail.
The next thing you should consider is if your loved one will follow the terms and conditions connected to their bail. Common things that are required while a person is out on bail are that they avoid anyone connected to their case, stay away from all types of criminal behavior, and stay in the general area. For serious crimes, additional stipulations such as remaining at home during specific times of the day/night will be added to the bail conditions.
If you’re not 100% confident you’re loved one will follow these conditions, you shouldn’t post their bail.
The biggest thing your loved one has to do while they are out on bail is attend all mandatory court appointments. Missing a single one breaks the bail agreement. If you’re not confident in your loved one’s ability to attend their appointments, you shouldn’t post their bail.
Don’t assume that just because you’ve decided that you can’t post your loved one’s bail that they are out of options and will have to remain in jail. They still have another option. They can call Happy’s Bail Bonds in Bakersfield.
When they contact Happy’s Bail Bonds in Bakersfield, your loved one will enjoy: